Apparatus for the recovery and refining of light hydrocarbon oils and gases from oil wells



Feb. 26 1924. 1,484,718

NOX APPARATUS FOR THE RECOVERY AND REFINING OF LIGHT HYDROCARBON OILS AND GASES FROM OIL WELLS Original Filed May 15 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY5 Feb. 26 1924. 1,484,7E8

W. J. KNOX APPARATUS FOR THE RECOVERY AND REFINING OF LIGHT HYDROCARBON OILS AND GASES FROM OIL WELLS Original Filed May 15, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS Patented Feb. 26, E924.

stares insane WILLIAM JOHN KNOX, OF YORK, It. Y., ASSI GNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ARTHUR ROBINS SPEER, OF BRONXVILLE, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS I 'OR THE RECOVERY AND REFINING OF LIGHT HYDROCARBON OILS AND GASES FROM OIL WELLS. v

Original application filed m is, s 9,

1922. Serial No. 597,727.

as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 1

My invention relates broadly and generally to the recovery of hydrocarbons, and one of the objects, among others, is to provide an apparatus to recover naphthas, gasolines and the lighter hydrocarbon fractions of petroleum oils in a more efiicient, more economical manner, and in larger quantities or percentages than is otherwise possible.

One of the greatest losses in oil well operations is due to the weathering ofthe oil. The oil as it exists inthe sand or oil-bearing strata is under pressure, and because of this pressure, contains large quantities of absorbed gases and light volatile hydrocarbon vapors in the liquid form. A portion of these light compounds escapes from the oil as it emerges from the strata into the well, and passes out of the well by means of the casing-head through pipe connections. However, naphtha, gasoline and fractions of vapor lighter than gasoline remain in the oil and are pumped with the oil to local storage tanks. These storage tanks are usually and necessarily open to the atmosphere, and no provision is made for conserving the volatile constituents. If the wells are comparatively small producers the oil remains in these open tanks for some time before it is turned into the collecting pipe lines, and in the summer time and in warm climates is exposed to a high temperature. The oil is then pumped for long distances through pipe lines to tank farms where it is stored under the same conditions, open to the atmosphere. oil, finally, the refiner after it has lost the larger part The after months in storage reaches of its most valuable constituents. My process has for one of its objects to prevent this loss and conserve these valuable constituents. The apparatus in the preferred embodiment comprehends means for the heatin of the oilin the Well, utilizing the bore o the Well itself as a still and fractionation column, condensing means for separation of the light oils of any desired gravity or gi'avities from the hot gaseous and. vapor product or portion, and means for pumping of the residue oil, deprived of its light constituents, by means of the oil well pump, either co-incidentally or intermittently, with the distillation, and preferably utilizing the oil Well pump and the well itself as necessary and integral parts of the apparatus, although it will be understood that my invention .is not limited to the use of the oil well pump for performing the pumping function hereinafter described.

A process which may be carried out by the apparatus herein described and claimed is disclosed in my application filed May 15, 1919, Serial Number 297,214, ofwhich this application isgi division.

Inmy' present invention the gases and fractionated vapors from the well pass out of the Well by a pi e connection from the casing-head and t ence to a condensing means. This condensing device may consist ofone condenser, or more depending upon the number of products or fractions it is desired to produce. If it i's desired to separate out only standard straight-run gasoline then one condenser in which the temperature is maintained at the end temperature or thereabouts of the desired fraction and of ample capacity is used, and the lighter vapors and the gas are piped off and sold or may be treated in a casing-head gasoline plant for the recovery of the hydrocarbon oils lighter in gravity than the standard gasoline fraction. If it is desired to separate out fractions such as naphtha, higher in gravity and boiling point than gasoline, and a product lighter than gasoline, together with gasoline, then morecendensing units aroused as shown. In such case the condenser units will be maintained in a descending scale of temperatures, according to the fractions desired.

gases, which may be, conducted to a fuel gas distributing line, or to a casing-head gasoline plant.

In the accompanying drawings, to be taken as part of this specification, I have shown one form of apparatus which is well adapted to carry out my present invention.

In said drawings T Figure l is a View in side elevation, partly in section, of the apparatus, the same being shown as being applied to a single oil Well.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of an apparatus for carrying out my invention in connection with a number of oil wells in a field. Y V

I have described my invention with regard to theme of a heatingdevice external to the well of the construction shown in my said application, but I do not confine myself to such external means. 1

.2 designates the earth stratum, or so-called oil sand, into which the casing is driven or lowered; The well casing may be provided with the usual casing-head 2" supporting a pump tubing 3 in which is arranged a pump rod 4 for operating a pump piston 5, all of which may be of any well known or suitable construction. The pump rod 4 projects through the casing-head'and is connected to any suitable lever mechanism 6, by means of which the pump is operated or reciprocated to elevate the oil from the well. The ump casing is connected by an outlet pipe to a receiving chamber 8 into which the oil is pumped by means of the pump mechanism heretofore described. The receiving chamber 8 opens at its upper portion into an outlet pipe 9 through which the oil flows into a heating coil 10 arranged in the casing of a heate'rll provided with a suitable burner 12. The receptacle or chamber 8 is preferably provided with a central flue 13 leadingsto a stack14 through which flue the products of combustion pass from the burner 12, in order to initially heat the body of oil contained in the chamber 8. The heat applied to the oil in the chamber 8 reduces its viscosity and separates out the water and sludge from the oil, and also volatilizes some of the lighter constituents.

The initially heated oil flows from the chamber 8 through the pipe 9 into the heating coil 10, where it is further heated to such a degree that when discharged into the oil well casing, as will be hereinafter described, the heat will be sufficient to volatilize the hydrocarbons therein and in the well, in order to produce lighter hydrocarbons therefrom. The heated oil then passes by means of a connecting pipe 15 to the interior oi? the well casing 1, the said pipe 15 being projected through the casing-head 2 into the sludge, as stated, whereupon said heated oil is flowed into the casing to impart to and maintain sufficient temperature in the well and in the oil bearing stratum to "olatilize lighter products therefrom.

Connected to the casing-head 2 is a pipe 1 section 17 which opens into a pipe 18 by means of which casing-head gas and light volatilized products produced in the well may be transmitted to any suitable accumulator or to means for treating said gas, for example, to an apparatus for recovering condensa'ble constituents from said gas. For the purpose last stated, the pipe 18 may be connected by a pipe 19 containing a valve 20 to a suitable condenser coil, or other condensing apparatus 21, the outlet 22 of which opens into an accumulator chamber 23 from which condensed products may be withdrawn through a valve outlet 2d. Leading from the chamber 23 is an outlet pipe 25 which may be connected by a branch 26 with a condenser unit 27, having an outlet 28 leading to an accumulator chamber 29 to receive condensed products condensed in said unit 27. The pipe 25 may be connected to a pipe 26, to which is also connected a pi 30 leading from the said chamber 29 so that uncondensed vapor and residue gas in the chambers 23 and 29 may pass by means of said pipe 26 to the pipe 18, heretofore referred to, through which said uncondensed gas may pass to a point of storage or consumption or treatment. I preferably provide the pipe 18 at a oint between the pipes 20 and 26 with a valve 31, in order to con trol the flow of gas through the condensers and to divert the uncondensed gas into the pipe 18. If it is desired that all of the gas flowing from the well casing be diverted from the condensers, it is only necessary to close the valve 20 and open the valve'31. When it is desired to subject the gas flowin from the well casing to condensation, the valve 20 is opened, and the valve 31 closed. If desired, the pipe 25 may be provided with a valve 25% and the pipe 30 with a valve 31, in order to further control and divert the gas and vapor, v

Gases or liquid fuel may be supplied to the burner 12' in any suitable manner, but I prefer to connect said burner by a feed pipe 32 with the gas line 18, the flow of gas through said pipe 32 being controlled by a thermostatic valve 33 connected by a con ductor 3a with a thermostatic device 85 subjected to the temperature of the oil flowing from the coil 10, the arrangement being such 'the amount of fuel fed to the burner 12 in order to maintain'the oil passing from the heating device through the pipe 15 at a predetermined maximum temperature irrespective of the amount of oil flowing through said heating device. I i v The upper portion of the heating chamber 8 may e connected by a vapor pipe 36 containing a controlling valve 37, to the said pipe 18, so that the vapors given off p the oil in said chamber may, if desired, be

lit)

passed through the pipe 18 to the condensing apparatus 21 and 27, or diverted through the pipe 18 to the point of storage or consumption. If desired, the vapors passed ofl from the heater 8 may be sub- {Jected to a preliminary separation treatment efore any portion thereof is delivered to the pipe 18, and for this purpose the 36 may be connected with a pipe 38 leading to a condenser unit 39, the outlet of which opens into a separator or trap provided with an outlet pipe .41 for condensed products, which are delivered by said pipe to the pipe 16, so that the products con- ,densed in the unit 39 are permitted to commingle with the oil in the pipe 16 and be delivered to the well casing for fractionation therein. The separator or trap 40 is preferably connected by a valved outlet pipe 42, the valve being shown at 43, to the pipe 36,-heretofore described, .so that the uncondensed gases resulting from the separation treatment in the condenser 39 may enter the pipe 36 and. be delivered thereby to the pipe 18. By closing the valve 37 and opening the valve 38 in the pipe 38, and the valve 43 in the pipe 42, all of the volatilized products flowing from the chamber .8 will be diverted through the condenser unit 39, as

heretofore described. On the other hand, by closing the valve 38 and the valve 43, and opening the valve 37, all of the volatilized products pass directly to the pipe 18.

The pipe 7 is provided with a controlling valve 46 between the heater and the said pipe 44, and the pipe 44 is provided with a P valve 47. By positionin the valves 46 and 47, the entire body of oi umped from the Well casing may be cause to pass through the heating device and be heated therein for the purpose heretofore described, or a portion of the oil pumped from the well may be diverted through the pipe 44 into the storage tank or collector 45, or the entire body of oil pumped from the well may be delivered to said storage tank or collector 45.

I will now describe the operation oi the apparatus above described; oil pumped from the Well passes through the pipe 7 to the heater, where it may lee-heated to such a temperature as to separate out the water and sludge, which may be withdrawn 'chamber, and to raise at the base of the the temperature of the oil to'such a oint as to drive ofi a portion of the volat1 e constituents and impart to the oil such temperature that, when it is flowed backinto the well, the oil stratum through the drain 8 and oil in the well will be heated to such a tem erature that volatile constituents of the o' in the well will be driven 0E. The tem erature may be varied according to the re uct it is desired to recover. If the product desired be gasoline, the oil admitted to the well will be heated to such a' temperature as to maintain the well and its contents preferably at a temperature at or above the end boiling point of gasoline, boiling polnt, as is well known, varies according to the commercial use to which the gasoline is to be put. It is well known that F. and that the end boiling point may be as high as 350 F. Of course, the temperature may be Well above the end boiling point of the product to be recovered, producing vapors containing vapor of the desired product, which product maybe separated and recovered by any well known means, such as the described fractionation column of the well and the condensing means. The oil from the chamber 8 passes through the heating coil 10 and through the pipe 15 into the Well casing, through the delivery pipe 16, and in its heated condition this oil heats the interior of the well, and its contents, to a temperature sufiicient to volatilize and separate by fractionation the desired light products. The evaporation or volatilization is produced not only by imarting heat to the oil in the well, but also y the breaking up of the oil into fine films and s ray, by virtue of which the surface of the oi is immensely extended. The volatile constituents, together with the gas, rise through the well casing and pass out through the pipes 17 and 18 through which they maybe led to the condenser units 21 and 27, in order to condense put the desired roducts, or may be diverted through the pipe 18 and led to a suitable source or" consuinption, storage or treatment,

In the heating device 11 a certain amount of the light condensable constituents, such as the gasoline portion, are volatilized; the larger part of these are carried by the moving stream of hot oil into the casing-head of the well, and are there fractionated and freed from the heavier ends, but a portion of the vapors are liberated above the oil in the receiving drum 8 of the heating device. This portion ieavy oil vapors which would vitiate the quality of the gasoline if allowed to remain in it. In order to free the vapors, thus arising', from these heavy ends condenser and trap 4C are asoline begins to distill oil at or below 150 of the vapors contains entrainedinterpo'sed between the re- H which end ceiving drum 8 of the heating device and the well and is fractionated therein and refined.

together withthe vapors arising from the well, so as to produce a completely refined product, as described above.

The oil well acts as a fractionation column to. perform the efiicient separation of desired volatile products from the oil in the well, for the reasons heretofore stated. The heat supplied to the fractionationcolumn, i. 'e., the well and its casing, by the heated oil, need only be high enough or sufficient to produce the working temperature at which the desired product will be driven off from the oil in its extended state. There is a notable etliciency and economy of heat in the oporation of my process, due to the fact that the well shaft and easing are efficiently insulated, and heat losses are therefore reduced to a minimum, and the temperature of fractionation is uniformly maintained.

in Figure 2 of the drawings I have shown the invention applied to a number of wells in a field, and in which the reference numeral 1 indicates the Well employed as the fractionation column, and the reference numerals 1 indicate respectively the wells in a field from which oil and gas are drawn for treatment in accordance with my invention. Each of the wells is connected by an oil line 7 with the pipe 7 emptyin into the heater 8, and also with a gas line 1 connected to a pipe 18 corresponding to thepipe 18, heretofore described, which is connected by branch lines to the chambers 23 and 29, heretofore described, so as to receive the uncondensed gas from said chambers. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, ll merely desire to show the application of the invention to a number of oil wells, so that the oil supplied to the heater and to the fractionation well may be drawn from all or any-part of a number of wells in a field. It will be understood that the various pipe lines 7 will be provided with valves whereby any well or number of wells may be coupled into or cut out of the system.

What I claim and desire to secure by Let ters Patent of the United States is- 1". In an oil well apparatus of the character described, means for withdrawing liquid hydrocarbon from the well, a heater located externally of the well, a conduit for passing the liquid hydrocarbon from the well to the heater; a. conduit for delivering the heated hydrocarbon from the heater to the well, and a conduit for withdrawing volatilized products produced in the well and condensing means connected to said con-' duit last mentioned.

2. In an oil well apparatus of the character described, a heater, means to pump liquid hydrocarbon from the well and.

through the heater together with means for returning the unvolatilized portion of said liquid hydrocarbon to the well and a condenser connected with the vapor space of said heater.

3. In an oil well apparatus of the character described, a heater, means to pu'm liquid hydrocarbon from the well an through the heater together with means for returning the unvolatilized portion of said liquid hydrocarbon to the well and a condenser connected with the va r space of said heater, a conduit for withdi' awing volatilized products from the well, and means for subjecting said volatilized products to condensing conditions.

4. In an oil well apparatus of the character described a heater located externally of the well, a conduit from the well to theheater, means for withdrawing liquid hydrocarbon from the well and forcing it through said conduit, a condenser connected with the vapor space of said heater, means for returning the unvolatilized portion of the liquid hydrocarbon in the heater to the well, thereby heating the well, a conduit for returning the condensate from said condenser to the,

well, a conduit for conveying volatile products from the well and a condenser connected with said conduit.

- '5. In combination with a plurality of oil wells piping connecting certain of sald wells in (parallel, a heater, a conduit connectin sai piping and said heater whereby the 011 from said wells may be passedthrough said heater, a conduit for passing said 011 from said heater into a single well, a condenser and a vapor pipe connecting said well and said condenser.

6. In an oil well apparatus, a vertical pump tubing, a pump for elevating hydrocarbons therein a liquid heater, means for conveying the liquid hydrocarbon from the upper end of said pump tubing to said heater, and gravity means for delivering hydrocarbons from said heater to the lower end of said pump tubing.

7. In an oil well apparatus, a vertical pump tubing, a pump for elevating hydrocarbons therein, a casing surrounding the pump tubing, a liquid heater, means for conveying the liquid hydrocarbon from the upper end of said pump tubing to said heater, and gravity means for delivering hydrocarbons from said heater to said casing.

8. lln an oil well apparatus of the character described, a heater located externally of the well, a conduit from the well tothe heater, means for withdrawing liquid hydrocerhon from the well and forcing it through said conduit, a condenser connected with the vapor space of said heater, means for returning the unvolatilized portion of the liquid hydrocarbon in the heater to the well, thereby heating the well, a trap connected to said condenser on the side remote from said heater, a conduit for returning liquid from said well and a, conduit for admitting vapor from said trap to said vepor conduit leading from the well.

9. In an oil well apparatus of the character described, means for withdrawing liquid hydrocarbon from the well, a heater located externally of the Well, a conduit for passing the liquid hydrocarbon from the well to the heater, a conduit for delivering the heated hydrocarbon from the heater to the Well, and a conduit for Withdrawing volatilized products produced in the Well and a condenser connected to said conduit last mentioned said condenser comprising a plurality of sections in series whereby products having difierent boiling points may be separately condensed. v

WlLLlAM JOHN KNQX. 

